Milestones
As a franchise, Kamen Rider is constantly evolving and changing, with new ideas and concepts emerging with each series. Kamen Rider *First of the Series. *First and second ever Kamen Riders (1 and 2). *First use of the Rider Kick and Rider Punch. *Longest running entry in the franchise (98 episodes). *First series to change opening theme. *Highest rated show in the Showa Era and the franchise overall, with episode 41 being viewed by 30.1% of Japan's TV audience and averaging 21.2% throughout its run. Kamen Rider V3 *First direct sequel to a previous Rider Series. *First rider to be created for non-evil intentions (V3). *First Secondary Rider (Riderman). *3rd longest running show in the franchise (52 episodes). Kamen Rider X *First Series to be broadcast in a full year. *First Series to feature only one Rider. *3rd shortest running show in the franchise (35 episodes). Kamen Rider Amazon *First non-insect themed Rider. *The only Rider TV series which contained graphic violence such as blood, decapitation and dismemberment. *Shortest series in the franchise (24 episodes). *First Bio-Type Rider. *First Mystic-Type Rider. *First Rider whose powers aren't technology based. *First series to not feature the previous Riders. *First Rider that doesn't use a belt to transform. *First Kaijin to aid a Rider. *Final series to air before the start of the Super Sentai series. Kamen Rider Stronger *First Female Hero of the series. *First Rider to have a beetle motif. *A prototype example of Form Changing/Final Form. *First series to air at the same time as a Super Sentai series ( ). *Last series to feature Tobei Tachibana. *Last series of the original run of the Kamen Rider Series, the five series of the Seven Legendary Riders collectively lasting from April 1971 to January 1976 *4th shortest show in the franchise (39 episodes). Kamen Rider (Skyrider) *2nd longest running show of the franchise (54 episodes). *First Rider to have the ability of flight as a superpower. *Was meant to be a reboot but was later changed to be a continuation of the series. *Second series to change the opening theme. Kamen Rider Super-1 *First villains that come from space (Dogma Kingdom). *First and only Rider to use an American brand motorcycle. *Most Rider Kick variations used by a single Rider (26). Kamen Rider ZX *First Rider to debut in a Manga & Special. *First Rider to not get his own TV series. *First amalgamated villain group. *Last appearance of the original TV actors out of costume. Kamen Rider Black *First standalone series, with no connection to the previous riders. *First set of villains without Foot Soldiers. *Second Kaijin to aid a Rider. *First series in which a Rider dies but comes back to life. *First non-clone evil Rider. Kamen Rider Black RX *First in the series to fully utilize the concept of form changing. *First Rider to be the same person as a previous Rider. *The only series where a Rider drives a car. *Final Rider series to be produced by Shotaro Ishinomori before his death in 1998 *This series is both a Showa and Heisei series due to the passing of Emperor Hirohito taking place during its original broadcast. *Final crossover team-up of the 20th century Rider Series. *Final villains to utilize Foot Soldiers in the Showa Era. *First Rider series to be adapted in the USA. (Saban's Masked Rider). Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue *20th anniversary of the franchise. *First Rider not to use a belt in any way. *The only Bio-Type Rider whose powers don't come from a mystical source. *First Rider of the 90's Movie Rider Trio. Kamen Rider ZO *Labeled as a 20th anniversary production, when in fact it's the 22nd year of the franchise. *Second Rider not to use a belt in any way. *Second Rider in the 90's Movie Rider Trio. Kamen Rider J *First Rider to have size manipulation as a superpower. *First pure Mystic-type Rider. *Third Rider in the 90's Movie Rider Trio. *The last Kamen Rider production of Shotaro Ishinomori's career before his death in 1998. Kamen Rider Kuuga *First Kamen Rider Series to be produced after the death of Shotaro Ishinomori and thus the official start of the Heisei era, introducing the following trends. **First series to air with a Super Sentai series on TV Asahi. **First villain group to be a race as opposed to an evil organization. **Debut of the Super Form. **Debut of the Final Form. **First series to have a Hyper Battle special. *First Rider to have a pre-Form to the Riders' main form. *The last stand alone rider type series. *Highest rated show of the Heisei Era averaging at 11.7% of the Japanese TV viewing audience. Kamen Rider Agito *30th anniversary of the franchise. *First series to have more than two Riders. *First Series to have at least one of each kind of Rider type (Agito & Another Agito: Mystic Riders, G3/G3-X & G4: Tech Riders, Gills: Bio/Mystic Rider). *First series with a summer movie shown alongside those of Super Sentai. *Last series to use the traditional henshin belt. *First series in which a Rider dies and doesn't come back to life. Kamen Rider Ryuki *First series where the Riders commonly use cards. *First Heisei series that foregoes the traditional Ishinomori henshin belt. *First series where Kamen Riders use monsters to aid them in battle and enhance their fighting capabilities. *First series to feature a female Rider (Kamen Rider Femme). *First series to feature Evil Riders that aren't just clones of the main rider and one that is. *First series to feature a Rider that isn't human (Kamen Rider Odin). *First series where the Riders' powers are based on a point system. *Second Rider series to be adapted in the USA (Kamen Rider Dragon Knight). *First series to have a rider as the final opponent. *First and only series where the Primary Kamen Rider doesn't win because he was killed, but the Secondary Kamen Rider does. Kamen Rider 555 *First Kamen Rider series to air in the Super Hero Time block with a Super Sentai *First series to feature Riders that are also Kaijin. *First series to feature a Rider that doesn't speak Japanese. (Kamen Rider Psyga) *First Heisei series to feature an evil organization. (Smart Brain) Kamen Rider Blade *Second series where the Riders commonly use cards. *Second series where the Riders' powers are based on a point system. *Second series to feature a female Rider. (Kamen Rider Larc) *Second series to feature Riders that are also Kaijin. *Second and the last series to have a rider as the final opponent. *First series where the hero does not kill the monster-of the-week *First series to have a Rider under 18 years of age. (Kamen Rider Leangle) *Third series to change the opening theme. Kamen Rider Hibiki *The only series that does not feature the Rider Kick *The first series to use music and Japanese folklore as a theme *The only series where the main Rider does not use a motorcycle in hero form. (*the exception being for the opening credits) *A prototype example of the Support Robots *First Rider to use a breath attack. *Fourth and last series to change the opening theme. Kamen Rider Kabuto *35th Anniversary of the franchise *Third series to feature Riders that are also Kaijin. *First, Second, Third and Fourth Riders in space. (Kabuto, Ketaros, Gatack, and Caucasus) *First Rider to time travel. Kamen Rider Den-O *Most popular and successful entry in the franchise with 49 episodes, six movies, an anime spin-off, and numerous cameos and crossovers with other Riders. *First series to use time travel as a recurring plot element *First series that the riders use a pre-battle catchphrase. *Second series to use elements of Japanese folklore as a theme Kamen Rider Kiva *This series aired on the year of what would have been Shotaro Ishinomori's 70th birthday. *First Rider to have a horror themed motif inspired by the classic Universal movie monsters (Dracula, Frankenstein and The Creature from the Black Lagoon) *First series to have a collection of Net Movies attached to its summer movie *First rider of the Heisei Era to meet one of his predecessors. *Third Rider to time travel. Kamen Rider Decade *2nd shortest running series in the franchise (31 episodes). *First crossover with its sister franchise Super Sentai *Most riders featured in a single season (41 Riders). *Third series where the Riders commonly use cards. *First series to establish the concept of parallel universes. *Kamen Rider Hibiki's Rider Kick is shown. *First series in which the next Rider saves the current one. This becomes a standard in all future Rider series. *Introduces the arcade game Kamen Rider Battle: Ganbaride which as well as including past Kamen Riders, is also updated to include shows after Decade. *First series to have a Climax Heroes video game. *The last series to have a rider not use a Rider Belt as the transformation device. Kamen Rider W *First series of the Neo-Heisei era, introducing the following trends **First Rider to debut in the summer movie of the previous series **First series to have a Movie War film with the previous series **First series to fully utilize Support Robots. This becomes a standard for all future Rider series until Kamen Rider Gaim. *First Rider to be two people. *Second series where the hero does not kill the monster-of the-week. Kamen Rider OOO *40th anniversary of the franchise *The series reached its 1,000th episode on the day of its 40th anniversary *Largest number of form changes in a Rider series with 131 forms in total. (OOO's 129 forms + Birth's 2 forms) *First Rider to be made with only CGI. (Kamen Rider Core) *First series to have three movies during its run. *First series to have a game which teamed-up with All Primary Riders. Kamen Rider Fourze *Fifth and Sixth Riders in space. *First series to have a Super Hero Taisen movie during its run. *Third series where the hero does not kill the monster-of the-week. *First series in which the main Rider is under 18. *Lowest rated show in the franchise, averaging at 5.8% on the TV ratings scale. *The only series to use the ending song from the game in one occasion. Kamen Rider Wizard *First series where the protagonists' powers are purely magic based *First team-up with other Ishinomori heroes *First Rider whose Super Form is completely computer generated instead of a suit. *3rd longest running show of the franchise (53 episodes). *Final series to have the Climax Heroes game. *First to have a new game to team up with all Heisei Riders (Battride War). Kamen Rider Gaim *First series in the Neo Heisei Era to not use the two-part episode format. *First Rider series to use food and plants as a motif. (Fruits, Nuts, and Flowers) *First series since Decade to not use Support Robots. *First and only Neo-Heisei summer film since Kabuto to take place in an alternate timeline. Kamen Rider Drive *The 25th entry in the franchise See also * * *